Niddah 76

Chapter 76

א לידי חלול שבת ברביעי ותו לא אימא מרביעי ואילך

1 a desecration of the Sabbath.1 'On a Wednesday', but not later?2 — Read: From Wednesday onwards.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But not on the nights preceding (and ritually belonging to) Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, since conception on any of these might result in a birth on a Sabbath which is the two hundred and seventy-third from a Sunday, the two hundred and seventy-second from a Monday and the two hundred and seventy-first from a Tuesday. ');">3 Mar Zutra stated: What was the reason of the pious men of old? — Because it is written, And the Lord gave her conception [herayon],4

ב אמר מר זוטרא מאי טעמייהו דחסידים הראשונים דכתיב (רות ד׳:י״ג ) ויתן [ה'] לה הריון הריון בגימטריא מאתן ושבעים וחד הוו

2 and the numerical value of herayon5 is two hundred and seventy-one.6

ג אמר מר זוטרא אפי' למ"ד יולדת לתשעה אינה יולדת למקוטעים יולדת לשבעה יולדת למקוטעים שנאמר (שמואל א א, כ) ויהי לתקופות הימים ותהר חנה ותלד בן מיעוט תקופות שנים מיעוט ימים שנים

3 Mar Zutra further stated: Even according to him who holds that a woman who bears at nine months does not give birth before the full number of months has been completed,7 a woman who bears at seven months may give birth before the full number of months has been completed, for it is stated in Scripture. And it came to pass, after the cycles of days8

ד רבי יוסי ור"ש אומרים אין קושי יותר מב' שבתות אמר שמואל מאי טעמייהו דרבנן דכתיב (ויקרא יב, ה) וטמאה שבועים כנדתה כנדתה ולא כזיבתה מכלל דזיבתה טהורה וכמה שבועים

4 that Hannah conceived, and bore a son;9 the minimum of 'cycles'10 is two,11

ה ת"ר יש מקשה עשרים וחמשה יום ואין זיבה עולה בהן כיצד שנים בלא עת ושבעה נדה וב' שלאחר נדה וארבעה עשר שהולד מטהר

5 and the minimum of 'days10 is two.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As the text speaks of Hannah's conception and birth of Samuel it follows that a viable child may be born in the seventh month after the short pregnancy of six months and two days. ');">12 R. JOSE AND R. SIMEON RULED: PROTRACTED LABOUR CANNOT CONTINUE FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS. Samuel stated: What is the reason of the Rabbis? Because it is written in Scripture. Then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her menstruation,13

ו ואי אפשר שתתקשה עשרים וששה יום בלא ולד ולא תהא יולדת בזוב

6 which implies: Only 'as in her menstruation' but not as in her zibah; from which it follows that her zibah is clean for14

ז בלא ולד בתלתא נמי סגי אמר רב ששת אימא במקום שיש ולד אמר ליה רבא והא בלא ולד קתני

7 'two weeks'. Our Rabbis taught: A woman may sometimes be in labour15 for twenty-five days and no major zibah would intervene.16 How? Two days preceding her menstruation period;17 seven days of menstruation, two days following menstruation and the fourteen days which18 the childbirth causes to be clean. It is impossible, however, for her to be in labour for twenty-six days, where there is no child,19

ח אלא אמר רבא הכי קאמר אי אפשר שתתקשה עשרים וששה יום במקום שיש ולד ולא תהא יולדת בזוב ובמקום שאין ולד אלא נפל בתלתא נמי הויא זבה מ"ט אין קושי לנפלים

8 without giving birth to it is in zibah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since a child causes the cleanness of fourteen days only (that immediately precede its birth), thus leaving twelve days at the beginning of the period of twenty-six days, there remain three days (between the first seven days of menstruation and the last fourteen) in the course of which she becomes a major zabah. ');">20 But if there was no child would not21

ט <big>מתני׳</big> המקשה בתוך שמונים של נקבה כל דמים שהיא רואה טהורין עד שיצא הולד ורבי אליעזר מטמא

9 three days suffice?22

י אמרו לו לרבי אליעזר ומה במקום שהחמיר בדם השופי היקל בדם הקושי מקום שהיקל בדם השופי אינו דין שנקל בדם הקושי

10 — R. Shesheth replied. Read: Where there is a child. Said Raba to him: But was it not stated 'where there is no child'? Rather, said Raba, it is this that was meant: It is impossible for her to be in labour for twenty-six days, where there is a child, without giving birth to it in zibah; and where there is no child but an abortion she is a zabah even after three days. What is the reason? — The law of protracted labour23 does not apply to abortions.

יא אמר להן דיו לבא מן הדין להיות כנדון ממה היקל עליה מטומאת זיבה אבל טמאה טומאת נדה

11 MISHNAH. IF A WOMAN WAS IN PROTRACTED LABOUR DURING THE EIGHTY DAYS24 PRESCRIBED FOR THE BIRTH OF A FEMALE, ALL KINDS OF BLOOD THAT SHE MAY OBSERVE25

יב <big>גמ׳</big> תנו רבנן תשב לרבות המקשה בתוך שמונים של נקבה שכל דמים שהיא רואה טהורין עד שיצא הולד ור"א מטמא

12 ARE CLEAN,26 UNTIL THE CHILD IS BORN, BUT R. ELIEZER HOLDS THEM TO BE UNCLEAN.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the birth took place during the period of menstruation. During the sixty-six days (cf. prev. n. but one) she is only free from the uncleanness of zibah but not from that of menstruation. ');">27 THEY SAID TO R. ELIEZER: IF IN A CASE WHERE THE LAW WAS RESTRICTED IN REGARD TO BLOOD DISCHARGED IN THE ABSENCE OF PAIN,28

יג אמרו לו לר"א ומה במקום שהחמיר בשופי שלפני הולד היקל בשופי שלאחר הולד מקום שהיקל בקושי שלפני הולד אינו דין שנקל בקושי שלאחר הולד

13 IT WAS NEVERTHELESS RELAXED.29 IN REGARD TO BLOOD DISCHARGED DURING PROTRACTED LABOUR, IS THERE NOT EVEN MORE REASON TO RELAX THE LAW30 IN REGARD TO THE BLOOD OF LABOUR IN A CASE WHERE31

יד אמר להם דיו לבא מן הדין להיות כנדון ממה היקל עליה מטומאת זיבה אבל מטמאה טומאת נדה

14 IT WAS RELAXED32 EVEN IN REGARD TO A DISCHARGE IN THE ABSENCE OF PAIN?26

טו אמרו לו הרי אנו משיבין לך לשון אחר ומה במקום שהחמיר בשופי שלפני הולד היקל בקושי שעמו מקום שהיקל בשופי שלאחר הולד אינו דין שנקל בקושי שעמו

15 HE REPLIED: IT IS ENOUGH THAT THE CASE INFERRED33 SHALL BE TREATED IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE ONE34 FROM WHICH IT IS INFERRED. FOR IN WHAT RESPECT WAS THE LAW RELAXED FOR A WOMAN IN THE LATTER CASE?35

טז אמר להם אפילו אתם משיבין כל היום כולו דיו לבא מן הדין להיות כנדון ממה היקל עליה מטומאת זיבה אבל מטמאה טומאת נדה

16 IN THAT OF THE UNCLEANNESS OF ZIBAH36 ONLY; WHILE SHE IS STILL SUBJECT TO THE UNCLEANNESS OF THE MENSTRUANT.

יז אמר רבא בהא זכינהו ר"א לרבנן לאו אמריתו דמה דמה מחמת עצמה ולא מחמת ולד ה"נ (ויקרא יב, ז) וטהרה ממקור דמיה דמיה מחמת עצמה ולא מחמת ולד

17 GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: She shall continue [in the blood of her purification],37 includes a woman who was in protracted labour during the eighty days24

יח אימא בימי נדה נדה בימי זיבה טהורה אמר קרא תשב ישיבה אחת לכולן

18 prescribed for the birth of a female, viz., that all kinds of blood that she may observe are clean, until the embryo is born,38 but R. Eliezer holds them to be unclean. They said to R. Eliezer: If in the case where the law was restricted in regard to blood discharged in the absence of pain before the child was born,39 it was nevertheless relaxed in regard to blood discharged in the absence of pain after the child was born,40 is there not even more reason to relax the law in regard to the blood of labour after the child was born40

יט <big>מתני׳</big> כל אחד עשר יום בחזקת טהרה

19 in a case where it was relaxed in regard to the blood of labour before the child was born? He replied: It is enough that the case inferred41 shall be treated in the same manner as the ones from which it is inferred. For in what respect was the law relaxed for a woman in the latter case?42 In that of the uncleanness of zibah only, while she is still subject to the uncleanness of the menstruant. They said to him, We would submit to you an objection in a different form: If in the case where the law was restricted in regard to blood discharged in the absence of pain before the child was born,39 it was nevertheless relaxed in regard to blood discharged at such a time43 in protracted labour, is there not even more reason that, where 'the law was relaxed in regard to blood discharged in the absence of pain after the child was born,44 the law should be relaxed in regard to blood discharged at such a time43 during protracted labour? He replied: Even if you were to offer objections all day long it must be enough that the case inferred44 shall be treated in the same manner as the one42 from which it is inferred. For in what respect was the law relaxed for a woman in the latter case?42 In that of the uncleanness of zibah only, while she is still subject to the uncleanness of the menstruant. Raba observed, R. Eliezer could successfully have offered the Rabbis the following reply: Did you not explain Her blood45 thus: 'Her blood' refers to blood that is normally discharged, but not to such as is due to childbirth?46 Well, here also, it may be explained: And she shall be cleansed from the fountain of her blood,47 'her blood' refers to blood that is normally discharged but not to such as is due to childbirth.48 But might it not be suggested49 [that if a discharge occurred] during the days of menstruation she is a menstruant, [while if it occurred] during the days of zibah she is clean? — Scripture said, She shall continue,50 which implies: One form of continuation throughout all these days.51 MISHNAH. THROUGHOUT ALL THE ELEVEN DAYS52 A WOMAN IS IN A PRESUMPTIVE STATE OF CLEANNESS.53

Previous Chapter Next Chapter